


The Letter

by lily292



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, confident!yuuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-09-19 20:24:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9459104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lily292/pseuds/lily292
Summary: “Small shifts in your thinking, and small changes in your energy, can lead to massive alterations of your end result.”When Kenjirou Minami mails a fan-letter, he never knew what it would lead to.When Yuuri replies to a fan letter, he could never have known the impact this would have on his life.When he qualifies for the Grand Prix Final, Yuuri is no longer the extremely anxious and confidence-lacking person he would have been. He brings Kenjirou along with him to the GPF and that letter changes everything.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So the age difference between Yuuri and Kenjirou seems to be 6 years.   
> The age difference between Yuuri and Phichit seems to be 3 years.  
> Since Yuuri first trained under Celestino at 18 and we don’t know about Phichit, I’m just going to say they were roommates from the beginning.   
> So this story begins about a year after they first begin living together.   
> I also don’t know when Yuuri and Phichit and Kenjirou made their senior debuts but I’m going to say 18 for all of them.   
> Since this is the prologue, there’s going to be a lot of time skips in this chapter to set up for the rest of the story.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Yuri on Ice  
> Thank you for reading.

13-year old Kenjirou sat at his desk writing a fan letter to his idol Katsuki Yuuri. This wasn't the first or even the tenth time he had done so. However, he was determined to send it this time. As soon as he finished writing, he sealed it inside the envelope he had prepared and ran outside to post it before he could second-guess himself.

\--

Several weeks later, Phichit Chulant hovered over his best friend's shoulder as Yuuri opened a letter from an unknown sender. Having just lost another competition, Yuuri was extremely worried about any letters from Japan and Phichit was being overprotective. Anxiously, he ripped open the envelope and took out the letter. With shaking hands, he unfolded the school standard paper written on with the shaky hand of a child. The roommates finished reading. At the end, Phichit was snickering.  
"Looks like you have a fan." Yuuri flushed.  
“Stop it.” He muttered folding the letter back into the envelope.  
“Aren’t you gonna reply?” Phichit asked.  
“Huh?”  
“If you wrote someone a letter, wouldn’t you want a reply?” He asked glancing not so subtly at Yuuri’s many posters of Viktor. Yuuri turned even redder.  
“Don’t you have class?” He retorted.  
“I’m going, I’m going.” Phichit laughed. As he grabbed his bag and walked out the door, he was satisfied to see Yuuri pull out his writing utensils and examine the letter again. Although neither of them knew it, Kenjirou had been anticipating Yuuri’s reply, getting up early to hound the mailman. He was ecstatic to get a reply and promptly sent another letter. That was the beginning of their correspondence. Unbeknownst to anyone, the correspondence was one that would change history.

\--

Yuuri sighed as he folded up his latest letter from Kenjirou. The letter had arrived late. It wished him luck in his last Grand Prix Final qualifier, which he had bombed. Again. He didn’t really know why Kenjirou looked up to him. There was a creak as the door opened and Phichit walked in.  
“Hey, Yuuri.” He smiled and held up the plastic bag he was carrying.  
“Let’s have a movie night!” He cheered. In his other hand, he held the King and the Skater. Yuuri chuckled and got up to set up the DVD player while Phichit made popcorn. As they settled in to watch the movie, Phichit spoke up.  
“What are you going to do?” Yuuri was silent. They didn’t say anything more as they continued to watch the movie. By the end, Phichit had fallen asleep. As he reached for the remote to turn the movie off, Yuuri asked himself, “What am I going to do?” He was tired. Tired of losing. Tired of disappointing everyone. As he wrapped Phichit in a blanket, he sighed. “Maybe I should give up?” Even as he said it, his heart throbbed. Glancing at the many posters of Viktor Nikiforov on his walls, he closed his eyes. Skating on the same ice as his idol was beginning to seem like an unattainable dream. As he placed his glasses on his desk, he knocked over Kenjirou’s letter. As he bent to pick it up, one line caught his eye. 'You’re my idol! I really hope to be able to skate with you someday!' He placed it back on his desk and lay on his bed, listening to the cars outside and Phichit’s steady breathing. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

\--

He knew this routine. A spin here, a jump there. As he landed, he heard Yuuko laugh as she landed it next to him. He knew she was skating the same thing: Viktor Nikiforov’s Junior World Championship short program, the Lilac Fairy. He knew without looking that Takeshi would be watching them proudly at the side of the rink along with Minako-sensei who was cheering them on. He remembered this. As he performed another turn, he chanced a glance, and there they were: Takeshi, silent, but wearing a proud smile, and Minako-sensei with wide eyes and an excited grin. Mari was a couple rows up from the skating rink, chewing gum and pretending to be reading, but she was watching them with a smile. And her book was upside down. He laughed as he and Yuuko finished the program and Minako-sensei burst into wild cheers. As he panted, he remembered. “I love skating.” He remembered. “I’d forgotten.” A beeping interrupted his reminiscing. And he woke up.

It was a phantom feeling. It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. The joy that came with skating. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt it. And he knew what he needed to do. This season was over for him. Except Japanese Nationals. And maybe Worlds, if he qualified. Phichit’s hamsters squeaked as he pulled on his coat and opened the door. It was early morning in Detroit but he knew Celestino would be at the rink. Rubbing his hands together, he walked swiftly along the familiar route, wishing he had brought gloves. He braced himself as he went into the rink. This was going to be one of the most difficult talks of his life.

\--

The next few weeks passed in a blur as he packed. He knew Phichit especially was sad to see him go but he understood. Even if he had burst out crying several times already. Everything happened so fast until he was at the airport. Celestino had taken the day off despite the continuing skating season to see him off and Phichit was sniffing in a valiant attempt not to cry but his eyes were red and glassy. As he said his good-byes, he felt a wave of gratitude rise up. Celestino had been a good coach. And he was good to him, even if he didn’t know how to deal with his anxiety. The thanks was sincere and wasn’t enough to convey his gratitude for his coach. Phichit on the other hand, couldn’t hold it in anymore and started crying. As the two hugged, he felt hot tears against his jacket.  
“You’re still my best friend.” He sniffed. “You better stay in touch.” Phichit whispered as he clutched the back of his jacket harder.  
“Of course. You’re my best friend too.” They broke apart as the announcement for flights came over the intercom. Waving good-bye one last time, Yuuri left the two as he passed through the gate for the flight to Fukuoka Airport. He was 21. And he was going home for the first time in years.

\--

“YYYYUUUUUURRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!” Minako-sensei did a pirouette as she spread open a banner welcoming him home. He colored as he registered the many posters of him all over the station. He was suddenly glad that he hadn't been able to get home at a more convenient time than 11pm.  
“M-Minako-sensei…” He stammered out but she steamrolled over his words.  
“Welcome home!!! Did you find a new coach? What are you going to do about Nationals? Do you have any plans to go to Worlds?” She babbled as she grabbed his arm and dragged him to her car. She didn’t stop talking about his career until his luggage had been put in the trunk and they were both inside the car.  
“Well?” She waited expectantly, with a wide smile.  
“A-About that…” He gulped before bowing his head. “P-Please be my new coach Minako-sensei.” He stared at the stick shift while he waited for her response.  
“I don’t really think-“ He interrupted.  
“You already know how to do all the paperwork and I don’t think I can get comfortable with someone new.” He gulped. “It was one of my main problems with Celestino, it took a really long time for me to get comfortable with my coach.” He added closing his eyes. “You know what I can do, you know how to keep me calm, and you can help me with choreography if I need it. Please Minako-sensei.” He begged. He didn’t know what he would do if she said no. She was clearly hesitant.  
“We can talk in the morning.” She decided. “If you still want me to be your coach after a good night’s rest, I’ll do it.”

\--

“What do you think about rinkmates?” She asked.  
“R-Rinkmates?” He asked. Minako sat back.  
“I think we both know that your main problem is confidence.” She waited for him to agree.  
“And we both know that it wasn’t as pronounced when you were younger.” He nodded.  
“It was easier for you to work and motivate yourself when Yuuko and Takeshi were training competitively with you.” He nodded again.  
“Even if those two won’t be your rinkmates, why not someone else?” He hesitated. She waited patiently for his answer. He knew she would.  
“It would be the same reason I wanted you to be my coach.” He glanced down at his hot chocolate. “I don’t think I can get comfortable with someone new.”  
“What if it’s not someone new?” He glanced up.  
“I know your rinkmate from Detroit, Phichit was it?” He nodded. “Phichit won’t be an option but what about that skater you’re corresponding with?”  
“Kenjirou?”  
“Kenjirou Minami, right?” He nodded. “He’s still in Juniors, right?”  
“Yes.”  
“You’re fairly comfortable with him aren’t you?” He shrugged noncommittally.  
“I think it’s your best shot.” He avoided looking at her.  
“Yuuri.” He looked up. “You know I wouldn’t suggest this if I didn’t feel this would be good for you.” He nodded. And it was true. Minako-sensei had his best interests at heart and, after years of knowing that, he never doubted it. Sometimes, she needed to remind him, though. She knew that.  
“Why don’t you ask him?” He hesitated.  
“I’m your coach, Yuuri.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I need you to trust my judgment on this.” He nodded.

\--

It had taken a lot of begging. But it was worth it. The chance to train with his idol… Kenjirou wriggled in his seat at the idea. His parents had seen him off at the station and Yuuri-senpai and his new coach were going to meet him when he arrived. “Train arriving at: Hasetsu Station.” The cool voice announced over the intercom. Biting his lip, he excitedly made sure he had all his stuff and stood up as the train slowed to a stop. Through the glass doors, he could see Yuuri-senpai standing next to a tall brown haired woman. As he waited for the door to open, he noticed he was fidgeting. And that made him feel better. Because Yuuri-senpai surely couldn’t be as excited as he was for this meeting. Which meant he was nervous too. When the doors opened, he walked out and made a beeline for his idol. The woman smiled in greeting and nudged Yuuri-senpai who looked up from the floor and smiled at him.  
“Hi, Kenjirou right?” He nodded vigorously.  
“I-It’s an honor to meet you Yuuri-senpai.” He stammered out. The older man blinked in shock and the woman’s smile widened.  
“Right,” His attention snapped to her. “I’m Okukawa Minako, Yuuri’s, and now your, coach.” She introduced herself. “You can call me Minako-sensei like Yuuri does, okay?” She asked kindly. He nodded.  
“You two can talk in the car.” She added as Yuuri-senapi bent to grab one of his bags. And the two followed her out.

\--

It was quiet in the car, with both of the boys fidgeting. She glanced back at them in the rearview mirror several times. She noticed Yuuri taking cautious glances at the younger boy next to him with Kenjirou doing the same, though his glances were filled with awe. Eventually, the two glanced at each other at the same time. They blinked momentarily before they both started laughing. When that subsided and was replaced by talking, she smiled. They would get along fine.

\--

It was odd, he decided, how much difference one person could make. As he drank from a water bottle, he watched Kenjirou talk with the triplets excitedly.  
“He really looks up to you, you know.” Takeshi said suddenly from his side. Yuuri glanced over quizzically. “Did you know that he’s the President of your official fan club?” Yuuri colored. “He has the girls convinced you’re the best. He thinks your better than Viktor Nikiforov.” Takeshi threw him a teasing grin but his eyes were serious.  
“What-?”  
“I know you really look up to Viktor Nikiforov.” He interrupted. “But there are people who look up to you too, you know.” He paused.  
“I honestly never got the whole hype over him anyway. But you should remember that for everyone that matters, you’re our favorite skater.” His serious face matched his serious voice. “Feel free to use the rink anytime.” He said. Yuuri nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. Clapping him on the shoulder, Takeshi started to walk out. Putting the bottle to the side, Yuuri started making his way back to the ice. He was intercepted by Yuuko.  
“I heard what Takeshi said.” She smiled. “He’s right.” She tilted her head and her smile widened.  
“We’ll always be proud of you, okay?” He nodded.  
“Just do your best. I’m sure you’ll make the Grand Prix Final this year.” She paused and sat down on the bench behind them.  
“You’ve gotten really good, you know.” She said casually. “You were already really good before and got even better when you got back from Detroit, but ever since Minami-san arrived, you’ve been brighter and more confident.”  
That was true. He had initially been worried that Kenjirou would see how bad he was and stop looking up to him, would regret his choice to move out to Yu-topia so they could train together, and he had dreaded disappointing the enthusiastic boy from the letters, but it had never happened. Regardless of how many times he fell, how many times he failed, Kenjirou still cheered when he got things right. He never stopped looking at him with stars in his eyes. It was a big ego-booster, if he was honest. It had only been a year since the two had begun training together, but he had won gold at Nationals before deciding to concentrate on the next season instead of going to Worlds. The journey here had been a long one. But he was glad to have made it. He was confident in his program, confident in his ability, and confident that his best would be enough. Flashing a smile at Yuuko, he once again moved toward the rink, pausing to ruffle Kenjirou’s hair as he walked by and left his skate guards on the barrier.

Closing his eyes, he moved into his starting position. He heard Kenjirou hushing the triplets and could feel their eager eyes on him. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t care who was watching. He began.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yuri!!! on Ice  
> Thank you for reading!  
> I know nothing about figure skating so things are probably off.

There was a flurry of activity as competition season drew closer. This season’s preparations were simultaneously the easiest and the hardest. With all the visible support around him, and Kenjirou’s insistence that Yuuri was the priority, it was easy to feel confident. At the same time, Minako-sensei was insistent that he had to choose his own theme. And songs. And choreography. Although she would help him with the last one. He already knew that his theme be reminiscence, in thanks to that dream that had led him to return here. Eventually, he was able to convince Minako-sensei that she should choose his Short Program song. It fit his theme. And the first time he heard it, he knew what he wanted to do with it. It was strange, he decided. He had never felt so sure of what he wanted to do before. But Minako-sensei’s immediate demand to show her the choreography did wonders for his confidence. Her approving smile at the end only reassured him that he had made the right decision. They edited it heavily of course, so they could translate it to figure skating. But it was the most ambitious program he had ever tried skating for a competition. He performed it for the Nishigoris, Yuuko making sure the triplets knew the importance of not letting anyone see his program before competition. And Takeshi confiscating all recording devices. Both of them knew it was the most difficult program he had tried and their pride was evident. Kenjirou thought it was the best. He babbled the whole way back to Yu-topia from the Ice Castle about how cool it was. When he got home that day, he spent the time before dinner taking down all his Viktor posters. He’d sell them on e-bay, he decided. “You are just as good as he is.” He repeated to himself. “Even if no one else thinks so, everyone here does.” His walls looked very blank without anything on the walls.  
“Yuuri! Dinner!”  
“I’m coming!”

\--

He was starting to think that he would never find the music for his Free Skate. Kenjirou had the opposite problem. He had no idea what to use for his Short Program. And the walls of his room were really disturbing. It was odd to see them so empty after so long. “They look really blank and it’s really weird.” He complained. Phichit laughed over Facetime.  
“Maybe you should put them back up?” He shook his head.  
“No, everyone’s right. I am good enough to be at the same level and I need to prove that to myself.” Phichit smiled.  
“It’s nice to see this level of confidence. Going back probably was the right decision. How are your online classes?”  
“They’re okay. I work them into my schedule.”  
“How many languages is it now?”  
“Japanese, English, and Russian.” He stopped and bit his lip. “I’m signed up for Thai too, so I might bug you for help.” He knew how much it would mean to his friend for him to learn. As expected, Phichit’s eyes lit up and he smiled widely.  
“Of course!” There was shouting over his shoulder and he saw Phichit turn away from his phone through the screen.  
“My break’s over, talk to you later Yuuri!”  
“Bye!”

\--

It was so stupid. But he found his Free Skate song. He had been clearing tables at Yu-topia while his father and his friends were watching a soccer game on TV when an ad came on. Minako-sensei had laughed when he told her about how he had found the song, but she had found a long enough version of the song so he let it go. He was so excited he couldn’t sleep. He ended up messing with his phone instead. He was scrolling through Phichit’s Instagram when he realized what he wanted. Excitedly, he ended up saving some of his favorite pictures of Detroit. He needed to go shopping.

The next morning, Minako-sensei took one look at the dark circles under his eyes and refused to let him onto the ice. Undeterred, he ended up watching Kenjirou’s Free Skate. And talked everyone into taking pictures with him. On the way home, he ended up buying picture frames. After printing pictures both off Phichit’s Instagram and the new ones he took on his phone and digging up some older ones, he framed them on his walls. His walls were no longer so empty.

\--

He qualified to enter the Grand Prix Final Qualifiers. Still, it is an immense shock when the triplets burst into the rink while they should be at school to announce that the Grand Prix assignments were out. As Yuuko scolded them in the background, Yuuri and Kenjirou huddled around Minako-sensei’s phone to see the list of qualifying events. He has been assigned to  Skate America and NHK Trophy. He very determinately does not look at where Viktor Nikiforov has been assigned. Yuuko will tell him later anyway (Skate Canada and Rostelecom Cup).

\--

The days seem to blur together as he prepares for Skate America. He Facetimes Phichit several times a week, sometimes chatting with Celestino if he’s not busy. The Nishigoris are an enduring, yet silent presence as he works to improve his performance and he is always grateful for his mother’s boxed lunches that Mari delivers to the rink everyday. He is grateful for his father leaving heating pads in his room everyday and for Vicchan who always curls up next to him every night, sitting at the edge of the rink while he practices. He is aware that different members of their little town show up to watch him practice, the most consistent at their lunch break, slightly earlier than his. He is aware that they are trying to help him overcome his nerves about performing in front of others and is grateful that everyone in town slips in at least once a week from the schoolchildren who stop by after school to the elderly Mrs. Yamamoto who makes the long walk over when her arthritis isn’t acting up, knowing that a majority of employees on lunch break show up in time to see him run through his programs one last time before he goes on his lunch break. Overall, he is forever grateful for Minako-sensei who always knows how to motivate him and push him to his best and to Kenjirou who still looks at him with stars in his eyes and follows him around calling him Yuuri-senpai. He still doesn’t know how to respond to that, whether or not he deserves it, but he vows to try his best to never let his kouhai down. He knows already that he never wants to see those stars fade out.

\--

Skate America comes and goes. In the end, Yuuri has several shaky landings but skates a clean program, managing to come in second. When he returns home, he is embarrassed to see that everyone in his little hometown all followed his competition. It takes him hours to get home from the train station as everyone stops to congratulate him. Even as he smiles and accepts their praise, he vows to do better. He knows these people who have supported him deserve nothing but the best.

\--

At the NHK Trophy, he wins first. It is his first gold from the Senior division. The reporters go crazy during and after interviews. He has qualified for the Grand Prix Final in Sochi, the only Japanese skater to do so. He answers most of his questions from Morooka Hisashi, the only reporter he has answered more than one question from. He knows that it is favoritism, but Morooka-san is the only reporter that followed him from his Junior days to his Senior, the only reporter that has always cheered him on and told him he could do better. (The only reporter that didn’t give up on him when he didn’t do as well in the Senior division as the Junior division) It is only natural that he’s more disposed to talk with Morooka-san than the other reporters who only contact him now that he’s winning again. His old nickname, the one from his Junior days, the one that stopped applying to him when he stopped winning, comes back. He is Japan’s Ace once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon: Yuuri is such a huge Viktor fan he learned Russian.  
> Headcanon: Yuuri did really well in Juniors but his nerves started getting the better of him more often when he entered Seniors. As a result, even if he was still referred to as Japan’s Ace, he stopped applying that title to himself.  
> Headcanon: Since Yuuri is Hasetsu’s hometown hero, people always stop by to watch him practice but knowing his nerves usually only stayed a bit and kept out of sight. Now that Minako’s trying to accustom him to an audience, they have permission to watch from the stands.  
> Note: Everything I know about skating, I learned from YOI and they don’t show the Junior events so I’m not sure how that works. It’s probably not the same but I have no idea how that works so let’s all assume Minami-san qualified for the Junior GPF (I think it exists and takes place at the same time as the GPF because Yuri was there).


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Yuri on Ice  
> Thank you for reading!

Russia is ridiculously cold. Even bundled underneath all his layers, the cold seeps into his bones. Beside him, Kenjirou shivers and stuffs his gloved hands into his coat sleeves. On his other side, Minako-sensei curses as in between the chattering of her teeth as she hurriedly tries to find the directions to their hotel without taking off her gloves. With a cry of triumph, she grabs her bag and starts moving toward the exit of the airport. Exchanging glances, he and Kenjirou do the same.

As they enter the hotel, he realizes now more than ever that this is not Japan. Many other skaters, the Russians in particular are being mobbed. With his glasses on, his hair falling in his eyes, and the mask over his face, he is not recognized. With his hoodie up, eyes drooping with sleep, and exhaustion suppressing the bounce in his step, Kenjirou is not recognized. It is a relief. He just wants to sleep. As he moves towards the elevator, a gap in the crowd of reporters lets him see Viktor Nikiforov. His smile is strained. It isn’t something an ordinary person would notice, but he has followed the older skater for years. This isn’t the bright happy smile that used to be plastered on his walls. This isn’t the bright smile that used to be present in interviews and competitions. As the elevator doors close in front of him, their eyes meet. The blue eyes are tired. He knows that look, saw it in the mirror everyday before he moved back to Hasetsu. He remembers the depression, the lack of will, and, worst of all, his forgotten love for skating. As he studies the doors in the silent elevator, he feels pity. He remembers  when he had that look on his face and all the negative feelings that came with it. He knows that he himself is still being pulled out of the depression it brought. ‘How odd.’ He thinks. ‘To realize that your idol is human.’

\--

On their floor, the small group of three part ways. He and Kenjirou are sharing a room, but Minako-sensei is across the hall. He tells Kenjirou to take a shower first and starts to unpack. When he takes his turn in the shower, he feels the weariness in his bones seep away. It is replaced by the familiar feeling of fear. He is not sure how he made it this far. As he changes into his pajamas, he feels the old familiarity of self-doubt. ‘There are so many others that deserve to be here instead of you.’ The voices seem to say. Putting his glasses on, he walks out of the bathroom, determined to ignore them. The voices become louder, but they die away as he spots Kenjirou curled up on one of the twin beds, shivering on top of the blankets. ‘He shouldn’t have to deal with someone like you.’ The voices try to say. But he remembers why he is here. Kenjirou is like a light in the darkness, an unwavering believer that he can. He knows that his family, his friends all believe in him, but he also knows they know so little about figure skating. Kenjirou is a competitor. Despite all his failures, Kenjirou looks up to him. ‘I can’t let him down.’ He remembers the stars in the younger boy’s eyes. ‘I never want them to fade.’ He places a blanket over the shivering boy and sits on the edge of the bed, carding a hand through the blonde hair. The boy nuzzles into his hand and mumbles in response. His heart swells as he realizes just how fond of this boy he has become. When Kenjirou is there, the voices fade. He has come to realize that the boy’s admiration will not fade, no matter how many mistakes he makes. ‘I can do this.’ He repeats. Placing his glasses on the nightstand, he climbs into his own bed and turns out the lamp. “Oyasuminasai.” The whisper is the only sound heard for a while other than the soft sounds of steady breathing.

\--

It is a little surprising to come out of the room and see the people in the next room come out at the same time. It is even more surprising to see it be another competitor. Yuuri and Jean-Jacques Leory blink at each other momentarily before the younger skater flashes a grin.  
“Yuuri Katsuki, right?”  
“Ahh, yes.” There is a small silence before the woman with him elbows him slightly and he startles before shooting him a grin.  
“If you’re going out, would you like to grab dinner with us?” He is ready to refuse until he looks closer. There is a wariness in his eyes that seems ready for rejection that contrasts sharply with the confidence in his tone. It is a look that he knows has been on his face many times. He forces himself to smile.  
“S-Sure.” The other skater looks surprised but his companion just smiles.  
“You don't mind if my junior comes too, do you?” He asks. He knows Kenjirou, social butterfly that he is, won’t mind and Minako-sensei is still sleeping. Jean-Jacques looks shell-shocked. His companion rolls her eyes at his silence and replies  
“Of course not.” That snaps him out of it just as Kenjirou bounds out the door. With a confidence he does not feel, he smiles.  
“Just let me text my coach.” The other two just nod and wait as Kenjirou closes the door and looks at them. “This is Kenjirou Minami, my junior. Kenjirou, this is Jean-Jacques-“  
“JJ is fine.”  
“Right, JJ Leroy and um…” He trails off as he realizes he never got the woman’s name.  
“I’m Isabella Yang, JJ is my boyfriend.” She introduces with a smile.  
“Yuuri Katsuki, it’s nice to meet you.” He shakes her hand. “We’re going to dinner together.” He adds to Kenjirou as he puts his phone away. The bouncy boy perks up.  
“Where?” He asks. He looks to the couple.  
“We could just look around until we find something interesting.” Isabella suggests.

Dinner goes far better than he expected. JJ is exactly as he thought: almost as socially awkward as he is. He tries to hide it by pretending to be overly confident. Over dinner, he learns JJ has never had a normal school experience. And how he met Isabella. Both of them think Kenjirou is adorable. As Isabella and Kenjirou run ahead to look at stalls on the streets after dinner, he finds himself in comfortable conversation with JJ. As the hour grows later, he and JJ manage to convince the other half of their group to return to the hotel. They part at the door to their respective hotel rooms and exchange contact information. As the door closes behind him, Yuuri is proud to realize he made another friend.

\--

The next morning is chaotic. Kenjirou is equal parts excited and nervous for his Short Program. He goes to find Minako-sensei to find her vomiting in the bathroom. Her temperature is high. He forces her to bed, and takes the lanyard for coaches on his way out. Checking that he has everything, he herds Kenjirou down the elevator and into a taxi. On the way to the rink, he eyes Kenjirou who is almost vibrating with excitement. He knows it is Kenjirou’s first JGPF. The boy had grown in leaps and bounds with basically unlimited access to the rink, Minako-sensei’s choreography skills, and the extreme motivation of training with him. He knows Kenjirou’s skating, the charisma he has while doing so, and he has full confidence that his junior will do well today.

\--

There is a tension in the air when he and Kenjirou arrive as his competitors stretch. Still, he knows that it is nothing like the tension that would exist in the Senior competition. Leaning against the wall, he texts Phichit as he watches Kenjirou stretch. When he’s done, the blonde becomes a ball of energy that starts talking to everyone. Although they look surprised, most of the Junior competitors respond positively. Soon, all the competitors are talking as they stretch. But he realizes something is off. Counting heads, he realizes that one of the competitors isn’t here. He shrugs and continues to text Phichit. The last skater shows up, hoodie up and seemingly ignoring his coach. He puts his phone away as the order is announced. Kenjirou is fifth. They all move to the ice to warm up. He sees Kenjirou try to engage the late skater in conversation. It doesn’t seem to go well and his junior droops a bit. After the warmup, he hands Kenjirou his skate guards and watches the blonde move off the ice. He yells, “Yuri, good luck!” The late competitor, Yuri, ignores him and takes his position to start skating. Kenjirou’s shoulders drop. He places a hand on his shoulder. When the boy looks up, he gives him a smile and shows him the good luck text from Phichit. The other boy perks up. The two had met over Facetime. Apparently, Kenjirou has been following him on social media for a while and he knows Phichit likes the boy who gives him confidence. With one eye, he notices that the blonde on the ice is technically good (maybe just a bit better than Kenjirou), but also skates like a robot. His presentation scores won’t come out well, he knows. He watches him move off the ice and into the kiss and cry. As the next competitor comes on, he notes that Kenjirou isn’t nervous at all and is very loud in wishing all his competitors luck. He sees the first competitor leave, his coach seems very annoyed with him.

Kenjirou has cheered on all the competitors before him. As he removes his skate guards and hands his jacket to him, he notes the boy looks both nervous and excited now. He smiles. “You’ll do great, Kenjirou.” The boy bites his lip. “I believe in you.” He says and Kenjirou looks up at that with wide shining eyes.  
“Really?”  
“Really.” He smiles at him and ruffles his hair. “Ganbatte.” He holds out a fist. Kenjirou gives him a toothy grin and bumps his fist against his before moving to the center of the rink. As the music comes on, he feels someone move next to him. He turns to see the coach from earlier. He is familiar in some way.  
“Yuuri Katsuki?” He asks.  
“Yes?” He asks, keeping an eye on Kenjirou.  
“Where’s your coach?” He supposes it’s about time for someone to ask that.  
“Aah, she’s sick. I’m here in her place for my junior.” He gestures to Kenjirou on the ice. He’s doing great. This is his best performance yet, he notes. The other man nods approvingly,  
“It’s good to see skaters set such a good example for others.” He says. He colors slightly but wonders why this man looks so familiar. He refuses to take his eyes off Kenjirou entirely to sate his curiosity. Still, he scrutinizes the other man who seems to realize that he has no idea who he is. “Yakov Feltsman.” He says. “You’re up against another one of my skaters in the Senior Division.” Oh. This is Viktor Nikiforov’s coach, he realizes. Oops.  
“Well-“ He cuts himself off as the music ends and Kenjirou takes his ending pose.  
“Excuse me.” He says instead, running to greet Kenjirou at the rink opening. He opens his arms when the boy looks to him for approval. His eyes light in excitement and he almost flies into his arms. Thankfully, Mr. Feltsman seems not to have taken offense at his sudden leave.  
“I will see you later.” Is all he says as he passes him on the way to take Kenjirou to get his scores. He’s in first and there is a buzz of media presence as he has scored almost ten points above the Russian favorite, Yuri Plisetsky, who he realizes must have been the surly first competitor, at his first JGPF. Of course, Kenjirou cuts himself off in the middle of the interview to yell good luck to the last competitor. He can do nothing but smile and praise the boy who’s ignoring the cameras in favor of his competitor. For once, he is comfortable answering questions, though he still ignores those that have nothing to do with Kenjirou. Watching him light up even more when JJ and Isabella text their congratulations, reminds him of how precious this boy is. When he looks up at him, eyes searching for approval, he cannot help the wide grin that overtakes his face; he is so proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since JJ is 19 in the main series, he would be 18 when this is written. It's probably his first GPF and one of his first (if not the first) years in the Senior Division. I'm actually not sure why people seem to dislike JJ so much, he can be kind of annoying but he's not that bad. I think he's socially awkward and trying to cover it up with confidence. I also always thought he and Yuuri would get along well (because Yuuri seems to do well with outgoing people). He wasn't even supposed to show up but he popped in and I couldn't leave it out.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kenjirou's POV  
> Viktor finally appears!! (and does something other than look pretty)  
> And Vicchan's fate is decided.

He was in first! As he waited for Yuuri-senpai to get their lunch, he wriggled in his seat. He was in first at his first Junior Grand Prix Final. Having Yuuri-senpai at rinkside had definitely boosted his confidence. He wondered if it was arrogant to ask Yuuri-senpai to be his coach. Wait…  
As Yuuri-senpai came back balancing their lunch trays, he winked.  
“Don’t tell Minako-sensei.” He barely glanced at his food that was almost certainly not part of the approved diet.  
“Who’s going to be your coach tonight, Yuuri-senpai?” He asked. His senpai paused in the middle of eating his sandwich. He looked at him for a second before his bewildered face softened and he put the sandwich down to ruffle his hair. “Don’t worry about it.” He reluctantly allowed the change in topics and looked down at the strange Russian food. It was delicious but the thought of Yuuri-senpai with no one waiting for him at the Kiss and Cry turned the food into ash in his mouth.

\--

He was sweating. Checking to make sure Yuuri-senpai was occupied with his phone call, he checked to make sure everything was in his bag. After he hung up, he asked. “How is everyone?” Yuuri-senpai glanced at him.  
“Oh, they’re all fine. They’re worried about Minako-sensei, though.” He paused and smiled. “And Vicchan won’t leave my room.” He laughed (He knew he was meant to) and they walked out of the taxi. Yuuri-senpai was really kind, he decided. He was risking being late for warm-up to make sure he made it to his seat all right. He watched and waited for Yuuri-senpai to appear on the ice. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as his senpai made it on time. He slipped out of stands and started making his way to the area reserved for skaters. Pulling Minako-sensei’s coach pass from his backpack, he started walking in. The guards stopped him, of course. He waited impatiently for them to finish checking to his pass was genuine. After he explained the situation, they let him in reluctantly.

He garnered a lot of strange looks as he struggled to locate Yuuri-senpai. Most of the skaters had finished warming up and were talking to there coaches over the barrier. Managing to look over someone’s shoulder (why was everyone so tall?), he could see Yuuri-senpai was still doing warm-ups. He hesitated. His senpai seemed fine.  
“It’s Yuuri Katsuki’s first time at the Grand Prix Final, but his coach seems to be mysteriously absent.” That decided it. If even the commentators noticed, he had to do something to fix this. Bracing himself, he started waking with purpose to the side of the rink Yuuri-senpai was closer to. Although he was essentially in the center. He was so busy watching that he walked into someone and fell.  
“Ack, I’m sorry!” He apologized really fast before looking up and seeing the man from the Juniors SP that had been talking with Yuuri-senpai. Viktor Nikiforov was leaning against the barrier in front of him looking amused.  
“A little young to be back here don’t you think?” He asked flashing a smile and grabbing his water bottle. The man (that had to be his coach) ignored him.  
“Are you here for your senior?” He asked.  
“I’m his coach.” He said proudly showing them Minako-sensei’s pass. Viktor-san paused mid-drink.  
“Wait, what?”  
“Vitya, go get the Japanese skater.” His coach said. The skater stared back questioningly.  
“That one.” He pointed.  
“Why-“  
“Vitya.”  
“Ok, okay.” And he skated off. There were confused murmurs in the crowd as the Living Legend ditched his coach to talk to a first-timer at the GPF. Yuuri-senpai looked really confused but he went and, eventually, the two arrived at the barrier, ignoring all the whispers.

Yuuri-senpai squinted. “Kenjirou?”  
“Hai!” He grinned proudly and pointed at the pass.  
“Oh my God, what’s wrong?” He was confused before realizing his senpai didn’t have his glasses on. “Do you want a snack? Hold on, I’ll give you money.” As he reached into his jacket pocket, he stopped him.  
“I don’t need a snack, I-“  
“Wait, are you sick too?” His eyes widened in panic. “Hold on a minute, I’ll take you back to the hotel.” He started looking around. “Where are my skate guards?” He muttered squinting. JJ-kun skated over then.  
“Something wrong Yuuri?” He looked at Viktor questioningly before noticing Kenjirou. “Hey Kenjirou, what are you doing here?”  
“I’m Minako-sensei’s substitute.” He explained and watched Yuuri-senpai stop panicking.  
"So you're not sick?" He nodded.  
“Wait, what happened to your coach?” JJ-kun asked.  
“She’s sick.” Yuuri-senpai explained before facing him. “You know you don’t have to right?” He nodded. He was going to do this.  
“She’s sick? You should have told me.” JJ-kun complained. “My parents wouldn’t mind filling in.”  
“I wouldn’t want to be a bother-“  
“Hey, we’re friends, it’s fine.” He reached out and grabbed Yuuri-senpai by the arm. “C’mon. You too, Kenjirou.” He started skating and he turned to follow the two on foot before remembering.  
“Ahh!” He turned and bowed. “Thank you!” The coach (he really needed to know his name) waved it off and Viktor-san just grinned and went back to drinking his water. He followed JJ-kun to his parents and watched him explain the situation.

“Oh, if you need a coach, we can do it.” JJ-kun’s mom offered.  
“It wouldn't be a bother?” Yuuri-senpai asked. JJ-kun’s dad waved it off.  
“You’re JJ’s friend. It’s not a big deal.” Yuuri-senpai visibly hesitated before shaking his head.  
“Thank you for the offer, but Kenjirou will be my coach for today.” He trusted him! He felt his chest puff up with pride.  
“Are you sure?” JJ-kun asked.  
“Yeah. I’d appreciate if you’d watch him for me, though.” He said.  
“Oh, of course.” JJ-kun’s mom (he needed to learn their names too) smiled at him.

Natalie-san and Alain-san, he’d learned were really nice. And really glad JJ-kun was making friends with other skaters. And Yuuri-senpai had put a lot of stuff in his pockets. The two helped him put the stuff down near JJ’s and all three of them waited together for the first skater. Yuuri-senpai was skating third. JJ-kun was fourth. He barely paid attention to the first two skaters except to note that Yuuri-senpai was much better. When it was Yuuri-senpai’s turn, he excitedly took his jacket ignoring the commentators and the whispers of the audience. Yuuri-senpai leaned in.  
“I need to know that someone will be focused only on me. Can you do it?” He asked. He nodded vigorously.  
“Then, don’t take your eyes off me.”  
“Hai!” As they bumped fists and Yuuri-senpai started skating to the center, he remembered. “GANBATTE!!” His senpai waved in acknowledgement before taking his position. The music began.

\--

It was a soft song. Not slow, necessarily, but soft. As he leaned against the barrier, he can’t look away. His senpai glides across the ice, and every time he jumps, he makes landing seem voluntary, like he could fly away if he chose. It was beautiful, and he knew immediately, this was probably Yuuri-senpai’s best run.

The music ended all too soon, and he found himself greeting Yuuri-senpai at the rink opening. He waited until he was done placing his skate guards on before tackling him for a hug. His senpai stumbled a bit, but he caught him laughing. He was still laughing as he carried him to the Kiss and Cry so they could wait for scores. He puffed up with pride as Yuuri-senpai had him sit on his right and proudly announced to all the reporters that he was the coach for today. Rink sweepers deposited all the gifts on Yuuri-senpai’s other side. Which reminded him to give Yuuri-senpai back his glasses. They were still waiting for scores when JJ-kun appeared to talk to his parents/coaches before he skated.  
“Ah, JJ!” JJ-kun turned. And Yuuri-senpai’s scores were announced. He ignored them. “Good luck!”  
“Ganbatte, JJ-kun!” He added. JJ-kun flashed them a grin and a double J before turning back to his coaches.  
“Congratulations on your score, Katsuki-san, a personal best!” The Japanese reporter Yuuri-senpai had introduced him to earlier shouted, returning their attention back to the cameras in front of the Kiss and Cry. The look on his senpai’s face was surprise.  
“Thank you Morooka-san…” He trailed off and looked at him. He shrugged in response. He grinned sheepishly. “What was my score again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri is totally the type of person who would prioritize cheering on a friend and not see his score. (Although this might not be how it works)  
> I still know nothing about figure skating and I didn't have any idea what song to use so I kinda glossed over it... 
> 
> Also, for people who didn't catch it (it's really subtle but I didn't know how else to do it) Vicc-chan lives. It's my headcanon he sulked in Yuuri's room when he first left but eventually started to walk down to the station to look for Yuuri everyday and got hit by a car. Since Yuuri came back and left again, he's still sulking (and consequently does not get hit by a car).
> 
> Yuuri would totally ditch his skating if one of his friends was sick.  
> And JJ's parents are totally the type that are so excited he's making friends that they're completely going out of their way to be welcoming.
> 
> Also, I think one (of many) reason Yuuri skated so well under Viktor is because he knew someone who believed in him completely was watching and waiting for him to finish and completely believed he would do well. I don't think this would have applied to Celestino if only because he was aware of what Yuuri's anxiety would do and somewhat anticipated it. So this time, it's not Viktor, it's Kenjirou.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay. I'm dealing with writer's block and I intended to have this out way earlier but it just never happened. Sorry!

114.16. It was a very good score, only about a point under Vik-first place. ‘He is not an untouchable god.’ He scolded himself.  
‘You’re just as good. You can do just as well.’ He reminded himself.  
‘You’re doing fine.’ He glanced away from the wall to see Kenjirou talking to JJ excitedly.  
‘You’re doing fine.’ He took a deep breath and started to walk towards them.

\--

‘Fascinating.’ It had been a while since someone had gotten so close to his score.  
‘Yuuri Katsuki.’ Yakov was talking but he wasn’t listening. He didn’t know if it was directed towards him or Yura anyway.  
‘115.32 and 114.16. So very close.’ He smiled. This might be an interesting competition after all.  
“VITYA!!” He turned his attention back to the world.  
“Yes, Yakov?” He flashed Yakov another smile. His coach wasn’t fooled, of course. His face turned red and he started yelling again. He promptly tuned him out. He knew that he wasn’t as inspired, wasn’t as happy, wasn’t the person he normally was, hadn’t been that person for years now. Yakov yelling at him about it wouldn’t change anything. He breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when Chris came to rescue him.  
“I got here yesterday and basically collapsed.” He told him in a low voice as he steered him away from Yakov.  
“I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to most of the other skaters yet. What do you say we all go out to dinner?”  
‘Yuuri Katsuki.’ Thinking of the other man’s close score briefly brought back the spark that had been lacking for the past few years and he made a note to see if he could find a version of the Short Program online. He grinned at Chris, a very plastic smile and wondered when smiling became such a chore.  
“That sounds great!” Chris clapped him on the shoulder.  
“I’ll text you once I talk to everyone else. Get some rest. You look exhausted.” As he watched the taller man walk away, he wondered,  
‘What does it mean when even your best friend can’t tell something is wrong?’

He follows Chris’s advice. Kind of. He goes to his hotel room and he watches Yuuri Katsuki’s Short Program. The camera quality sucks. It had obviously been filmed on a phone. The music is barely audible. At the same time, there is music in the man’s movements. He doesn’t need music. He creates it as he skates. The story is all there, clear for anyone who looks. A man returns home after many years away, coming back to find that so many things have changed. And learning that, unlike his first impression, at the core, everything has remained the same. A story of remembrance and rediscovery. Stunning and sad, but ultimately hopeful. And it was filled with emotion. Something his own performances had been lacking lately. He wonders what kind of person the other skater is to be able to skate so expressively, to tell such a complex story in such a short time. His phone buzzes with a time and address from Chris. He smiles and climbs off the bed to start getting ready.

\--

He’s talking to JJ and Kenjirou. Or rather, they’re talking and he’s trying to listen. Kenjirou’s English is still fragmented on occasion but the two are excited, are happy, and provide good distraction. He tries not to fixate on the shaky landings in his Short Program, tries not to obsess over what he could have done better. He doesn’t know what the younger skaters are talking about but the sound of their chatter is soothing for his nerves. He slowly breathes out and tenses all over again when there’s a hand on his shoulder. He turns to see Christophe.  
“Hey, Yuuri.” He greets.  
“Hello.” He tries to smile. The other two turn to greet the older man and he lets them take charge of the conversation while he relaxes.  
“So, skater dinner, Yuuri? What do you say? You too, JJ, right?” JJ looks a little surprised but recovers fairly quickly.  
“Sorry, I’m taking my girlfriend out tonight.” Chris waves him off.  
“It’s fine. What about you, Yuuri?” He swallows the immediate urge to refuse.  
“Can Kenjirou come?” He asks instead. It’s a compromise. It’s a start. Chris looks surprised.  
“…Sure.” He knows his reputation among his fellow skaters. He doesn’t normally socialize. And Chris who has known him since Juniors is aware that this is probably the first time he’s actually accepted an invitation to go out without being forced to go. He glances down at Kenjirou quickly.  
‘I’m not that person anymore.’ He reminds himself. Kenjirou’s eyes are gleaming up at him with adoration and he’s practically vibrating with excitement and he knows that he made the right decision (even if the thought of going out makes him want to climb into his bed and hide under the covers).  
‘You’re doing well. You’ll be alright.’

\--

He runs into Yuuri Katsuki on the way down. He’s accompanied by a blonde boy who’s bouncing. And he remembers this is the boy from earlier. He flashes them a smile. The boy grins back excitedly, but Yuuri Katuki’s smile looks strained.  
“Coming to dinner?” He nods in response but doesn’t actually say anything.  
“I watched your Short Program, it was fantastic.” He tells him. The blonde boy lights up in excitement and starts to talk about everything he thought was cool about the program. It seems to be everything. He finds the senior skater’s steadily redder face to be more interesting. The elevator dings and the three walked out together where they were interrupted by Yuri. He held back a sigh as he spied Yakov walking towards them with a reddening face. He was starting to regret leaving his room. He noticed Yuuri glance at him worriedly despite the plastic smile. Someone saw past his smile. Interesting. He took it back. He had no regrets.

\--

Kenjirou was going on about his Short Program again. He didn’t see why he had to praise every part of it. He could feel his face turning red. He peeked at Viktor. At least someone was amused. They stepped out as the elevator doors opened and he tried to distract himself from Kenjirou’s chatter by enjoying the small smile on Viktor’s face, small but a closer resemblance to the happy smiles that used to be present in all interviews and posters but have grown fewer and fewer over the years. They’re confronted by the small blonde Junior skater from earlier (Yuri?). He glares at Viktor and doesn’t really say anything but curses. It’s in Russian, of course. Kenjirou just looks really confused and glances up at him. He smiles and reaches down to ruffle his hair.  
“WHY CAN’T YOU BE MORE LIKE THOSE TWO!?” It comes out in Russian. Kenjirou jumps and clutches his sleeve and he automatically sweeps an arm out to tuck the younger boy behind him even as his head snaps up to locate the source of the outburst. It’s Mr. Feltsman from earlier. The Russian skaters are paying no attention to their coach. Viktor’s smiling again but Yuri just glares. He can practically feel Kenjirou wilt at the glare. The sadness radiating from his junior has him sending a stern look at the younger blonde who switches the glare on him before looking away. Viktor looks even more amused and Mr. Felstman is rubbing his temples. He started yelling again.  
‘Should I just leave now?’ He wondered. He glanced down at Kenjirou. He was still clutching his sleeve, but was looking wide-eyed at the Russians. He could feel his anxiety creeping up again. The choking, panicking feeling in his chest was rising. He struggled to breathe. There was a choking sensation in his throat. There was yelling and the Russians were yelling at each other again. He couldn’t make out what they were saying through the roaring in his ears. The room was spinning and he desperately tried to remain upright. The colors were blending in and there was nothing concrete, nothing he could hold onto. That was when he felt it. A small hand sliding into his. A small hand holding tight. A small hand connected to a small skater, connected to someone who needed him to be strong. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. He was better than this. Kenjirou just stepped closer, practically glued to his side. He breathed in slowly. He could do this. Everything was okay. He glanced to his side and even through the haze of color, he could see brown eyes. Eyes that looked up to him despite everything. Even knowing how much of a failure he could be. He squeezed his eyes shut, felt the hand in his squeeze tighter, and released the breath he didn’t know he was holding. When he opened them, he could see. He got his breathing under control and squeezed back. He could see Kenjirou’s worried face melt into a beaming smile. That was it. He caused that smile. Everything was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's POV is so hard to write. He wasn't supposed to come out so seriously...


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I went back and changed a couple of things in basically every chapter. It wasn't really anything important, wording mostly but yeah...Just letting you know. You don't actually have to go back and reread the whole thing, the plot will still make sense.

He shifted slightly and took a sip of water. At his side, Kenjirou was talking nonstop, trying to engage Yuri in conversation (it wasn’t going too well). On the other side of Yuri, Viktor and Chris were conversing quietly about something in French. He fiddled with his napkin. Michele Crispino and JJ had both declined. Across from him, Cao Bin seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep in the booth. Suddenly his phone dinged and Cao twitched, looking up. The other four barely seemed to notice as he tried to unlock his phone in a hurry. Until it happened again. And again. And again. Eventually, it kept dinging until everyone at the table was looking at him. He turned red and finally succeeded only for it to ding again.  
“Where’s the fire?” Chris asked, grinning.  
“Ding!”  
“It’s nothing.” He muttered.  
“Ding!”  
“Phichit’s spamming me on Instagram.” Cao who had met the younger skater at Four Continents (where he had been forced into about a hundred selfies with him due to Phichit’s determination to take selfies with everyone there) nodded in understanding, the rest of the table looked curious. Well, most of them.  
“Just put it on silent already.” Yuri snapped.  
“Be nice.” Kenjirou chided. Viktor and Chris both looked amused at the conversation. The other Junior skater just looked at him and rolled his eyes. Kenjirou took his silence as acceptance and continued to chatter on about the market they had been in yesterday with JJ and Isabella. Yuri interrupted to grumble about slow service in Russian.  
“If you don’t like it Yura, you didn’t have to come.” Viktor said smiling. Yuri glared at him.  
“As if Yakov gave me a choice.” He grumbled.  
“We both know if you really didn’t want to come, you would have ditched anyway.” Yuri’s glare intensified. There was an awkward silence as he refused to answer. Luckily, the waiter arrived with the food and the tension dissipated. As he ate, he tried to focus on Kenjirou and pretended not to notice the Russians staring at him (WHY WERE THEY STARING AT HIM!!!!!??????), waiting for it to end. Kenjirou, thankfully, seemed to notice his anxiety and started talking nonstop, eliminating any need for him to talk. People were still looking at him, but he didn’t have to talk anymore.  
‘How long do I have to be here?’

\--

Cao had excused himself, citing that he had to do something after they left the restaurant. The rest of them started walking all the way back to the restaurant. Yuri led the group, angrily stuffing his hands into his jacket, hoodie up and stalking off. He and Kenjirou were nearby, Kenjirou chattering happily at both him and Yuri, holding his hand as they walked. He was vaguely aware of Viktor and Chris talking in French behind them and he could feel eyes on him from time to time though he pretended he didn’t.

It was with relief that he exited the elevator, the other skaters being on different floors. They all exchanged good lucks (except Yuri who ignored everybody) but he waited until the elevator doors closed before relaxing.  
“Long day?” He looked up. JJ and Isabella were in the hallway.  
“They kept staring at me.” He admitted. JJ laughed.  
“They should be! Your Short Program was really good.” Their conversation got cut off as Kenjirou yawned.  
“Good night.”  
“You too.” He ushered Kenjirou in and told the younger boy to take a shower before going to check on Minako-sensei. She was sleeping so he walked out quietly back to his room. Kenjirou had already taken a shower and was sitting in bed rubbing his eyes. He chuckled, ruffling his hair before going to take a shower himself.

\--

He wiped the steam off the glass and looked at himself in the mirror. In and out. Deep breaths. Recently, it was times like this that his anxiety kicked in. It was always hardest when he was alone. Gripping the bathroom counter, he reminded himself that he was qualified to be here. He was second. Even if he completely bombed it tomorrow (it wouldn’t happen, he reminded himself sternly), he was still one of the few skaters that made it to the Final. Being the worst of the best was nothing to be ashamed of. Everything would be alright. Letting go, he walked out of the bathroom and tucked Kenjirou in under the blankets. The boy blinked blearily and mumbled something, rolling over and clutching his sleeve. He waited for the grip to relax and the breathing to even out before gently prying off the hand and going to his own bed. Warily, he took out his phone and opened his Instagram. Where Phichit had tagged him in a bunch of photos in commemoration of his "awesome SP!!!" In the text messages, there were good lucks and congratulations. And gushing. He laughed softly, Kenjirou had probably mentioned everything here already. Stretching he put his phone aside to get ready for bed. He placed his glasses on the bedside table and turned off the lamp. He attuned his ears to Kenjirou’s soft breathing and eventually, fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait and the short chapter.  
> I'm having a lot of issues with writer's block.  
> The comments really helped though. Thank you everyone!


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the long absence!  
> I've been busy and struggling with writer's block simultaneously.   
> Thank you for continuing to support my story.

“See something you like, mon cher?” His head snapped to the side to look at Chris. “Yuuri seems to have caught your interest.”   
“Wha-?”  
“You’ve been staring all night.” He blushed. But he couldn’t deny it. The younger skater was adorable. The near constant blush on his face made him look angelic. His wide eyes were beautiful. The amount of care he directed toward his Junior was heartwarming. The soft look and small beatific smile he directed toward the younger boy was mesmerizing. But most of all, he saw him. Yuuri, someone he had never met before, saw past his plastic smiles and fake laughter. He hadn’t commented yet, but the furrowed brows and worried expressions he shown when faced with his pretending made it obvious. He saw what even Chris and Yakov hadn’t really noticed.   
“I don’t see how I could look away.” He answered softly, avoiding the surprised look Chris shot his way. He sped up a bit as the hotel came into view and caught up to Yuuri and the small ball of energy at his side knowing Chris wouldn’t discuss Yuuri in front of Yuuri. 

As the elevator left him on his own in the hallway, he continued to think of Yuuri. Someone who saw past his act. It was odd, knowing the other person wasn’t fooled. He needed to know this person. Someone he didn’t need to pretend with, someone who saw him without effort. He needed to know Yuuri Katsuki.

\---

Minako was better by the next morning. Well enough to watch competition anyway. She sniffled in the taxi all the way to the rink. Next to him, Kenjirou was practically vibrating with nerves and excitement. He was nervous too. He knew how much this meant to Kenjirou. Dimly, he was aware that he should be worried about his own FS. Still, he imagined the bright, happy face marred with sadness and disappointment and shivered. It would almost be as bad as Kenjirou looking at him with disappointment. He needed Kenjirou to be happy. He needed to protect that smile just as much as he needed to protect the stars in his eyes. Kenjirou’s failure would be worse than his own failure. 

It was almost like yesterday when they got to the rink. Kenjirou chatted excitedly with the other skaters while he stretched. Yuri was on time today, but like yesterday, he wasn’t talking to any of the other skaters, opting to lean against the wall while ignoring his coach. Minako-sensei took one look at Mr. Feltsman and walked over to engage him in conversation. He followed awkwardly, leaning next to Yuri in silence as the two coaches talked about Mr. Feltsman’s wife. Yuri had his earbuds in for which he was thankful. He didn’t have to talk so he chose to watch Kenjirou instead. The younger blonde was talking and laughing with the other competitors.   
“You were better.” The words came so suddenly he wasn’t sure that he had heard correctly.   
“I’m sorry?”  
“Your Short Program.” Yuri took in what he was sure was a confused expression and rolled his eyes. “It was better than Viktor’s. The judges were biased.” Now he was sure he was hearing things.   
“There’s no way. I’m not even sure how I ended up second to begin with.” He laughed awkwardly. Yuri glared at him.  
“Are you stupid?” In the rink, he could already see one of the competitors was skating.   
“A lot of my landings were shaky.”  
“Your presentation was way better than everyone else.” The skater left the rink and another took his place. “You need to do better than the old man.” He glared. “I’m not going to share my name with some loser.” Without another word, Yuri kicked off the wall and walked away to start stretching. 

It was interesting, he noted. Yuri’s Free Skate was less mechanical than his Short Program. However, rather than portraying the Joy of his theme for the season, his determination to win was on prominent display. His technical score would be high but his presentation was lacking and it would negatively impact his score. Now it was Kenjirou’s turn. The small blonde was fidgeting. Minako-sensei gave her pep talk but, after it was over, he turned his wide eyes to him. Smiling, he offered his fist. Kenjirou gave him a toothy grin and bumped it before skating toward the center. There was only a calm acceptance that was never present during his own competitions. Kenjirou would do well. He knew it. And if he skated a clean program, he was almost guaranteed to beat Yuri who was currently in first. Kenjirou would do well. He knew it.


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm really sorry for the slow updates.  
> I ended up giving into a plot bunny and the story flowed so much faster so I'll just do that next time. I'm getting better at overcoming writer's block.  
> So, I ended up posting a new story, so if I'll be grateful if you would check out my new Yuri on Ice fic.   
> Thank you for your support! And thank you for reading!

When the music began and Kenjirou began to move, he already knew that Kenjirou would win. He and Minako-sensei had worked hard to choreograph Kenjirou’s Free Skate and Kenjirou had worked hard to practice. As a junior skater, Kenjirou didn’t need a complex story for his program. So it was simple. Determination. He had heard Kenjirou confide in the triplets before leaving for the Final that he was going to prove he deserved to train with him. It was a strange feeling, that he would be what someone aspired to be. And it was only another reminder of how thankful he was for the ball of sunshine that stayed by his side. If he hadn’t overheard that conversation, he would have struggled to believe it. It was in the sharp curves of his turns and the way he reached out before he jumped. That determination to prove that he was good enough. He had channeled his determination to reach Viktor when he choreographed this but he knew Kenjirou skated this to reach him. And he knew that he could never truly convey how thankful he was, could never find the right words to tell him that he had already reached him, tell him that he was more than enough. As Kenjirou struck his final pose, those honey-brown eyes met his. Eyes wide and asking, ‘Was I good enough?’ There was only one answer he could give. He opened his arms wide as he reached the rink opening and was gratified to see those star-lit eyes widen and have a ball of sunshine run into his arms without bothering with any of the gifts being thrown on the ice. 

By the time Minako-sensei reached them, he had managed to coax Kenjirou into putting on his skate guards, carefully holding him up so that boy didn’t dull his blades. He could tell he hadn’t done enough to reassure Kenjirou that he had done enough when the boy began vibrating in the Kiss and Cry. With Minako-sensei still sniffling on Kenjirou’s right, he distracted the younger skater with plans of ice cream until Minako-sensei reminded them that the scores were coming out. He already knew that Kenjirou had won. Even if he hadn’t, he had skated beautifully. Leaning over, he managed to whisper “I am so proud.” Kenjirou snapped his head over to look at him with wide, watery eyes and a wide, wobbly smile. Suddenly, Minako-sensei leaned over to hug the boy and both realized scores must have come out. As Kenjirou sniffed and wiped his eyes, he turned to look at the rankings and he smiled. 

The medal ceremony and interviews went by in a blur. He hung back at the edge of the crowd, snapping pictures of Kenjirou and sending them to Phichit and JJ as well as everyone back home. Every now and again, Kenijrou would catch his eye and he’d make silly faces. Kenjirou would smile and try to do the same, only for Yuri, sitting on his right, to intervene and glare him into behaving. It was adorable. During this moment, he could almost convince himself he wasn’t worried about his own Free Skate tomorrow. Almost

\--

Beautiful was the only way to put it. As Yuuri struck his starting pose, he was aware of the Junior gold medalist staring adoringly and Yura straighten up next to him, intent upon the screen. It was a shame he couldn't watch this at rinkside but he needed to stretch since he was next. Even as he stretched, his eyes were focused entirely on the screen as Yuuri began his program. A man home and searching for distant memories. Everyday searching for that distant glimpse of a love long lost. Eventually being able to let go and becoming stronger for it. Breathlessly, he was enchanted with the man on the screen. The spell broke as Yuuri ended up on his knees, completely out of breath after breaking his final pose. It was only when Yakov started yelling that he realized that he had stopped stretching as the program began. Hastily, and reluctantly, he tore his eyes off the screen to stretch. He only looked back up when an audible gasp sounded from the TV. Next to him, Yakov gaped soundlessly as he registered the scores. He grinned. He felt the old stirrings of competitiveness rise inside him. For the first time in a long time, he welcomed the cheers of the crowd as he skated to the center and felt the long-missing determination well up within him. 

\--

It was impossible. As he sat in the Kiss and Cry, he was vaguely aware of Minako-sensei on his right and Kenjirou on his left both cheering. There was a roaring in his ears as the word repeated itself in his mind. Impossible. Impossible. Impossible. The repetition was broken as he felt his phone buzz in his jacket. And again. And again. And again. And then, Minako-sensei pushed him out of the Kiss and Cry. As Viktor took his starting pose in the center, he felt his world right itself. Viktor was skating. Viktor would win. It was impossible was him not to. Wasn’t it?

The aria begin and Viktor began to move. The fluid motions, the perfect jumps and spins, the masterful telling of his story. There was no way he wouldn’t win. He felt more than saw Kenjirou vibrating against him but couldn’t look away. Faintly, he could hear the commentary. And as Viktor changed his jump composition, he felt his heart leap up. There it was. The joy of skating conveyed through his skating, the feeling that had been missing for years. He swallowed the lump in his throat and smiled. 

It was only after Viktor was in the Kiss and Cry that he reverted. Until the scores had come out, his world had righted itself. Of course, it had tilted again afterwards. 220.44. It was a personal best. All around him, he could hear gasps of surprise and muted whispers. The audience couldn’t believe it either. Viktor’s personal best fell short of his new world record. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder and Chris’s voice in his ear. “Congratulations.” The response was automatic.   
“That’s impossible.” In front of him, he could see Minako-sensei rolling her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in case it wasn't clear, Kenjirou won.  
> Viktor got a personal best during his FS but that wasn't enough to beat Yuuri's new World Record.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, lots of time skips.   
> I'm also really bad at dialogue and know basically nothing about skating so just ignore it if something's wrong.


End file.
